While there are existing systems that perform package delivery, data capture, mapping, and surveillance using manned-aircraft, operating a reliable system using unmanned and autonomous aerial vehicles has been challenging. Yet the benefits of using autonomous aerial vehicles rather than manned aircraft are substantial. For example, manned aircraft require human operators and large, secure areas for takeoff, landing, storage, and other logistics and infrastructure. Moreover, large, manned aircraft are expensive to maintain and operate, making them unsuitable for performing shorter missions or missions requiring smaller payloads. Further, installations for operating manned aircraft (e.g., airfields, airports, etc.) are difficult to scale or relocate. For example, it is neither simple nor inexpensive to relocate aircraft, facilities, and personnel in response to changes in demand for air services. Finally, human error accounts for a large percentage of aircraft accidents.
Accordingly, it would be beneficial to provide unmanned and autonomous aerial vehicle systems, and associated methods, in order to address these and other drawbacks of traditional manned aircraft.